Aconcagua, << `ah` kon KAH gwah, >> is an eroded volcano that has long been dormant. It is the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere and the highest peak outside of Asia. Aconcagua is part of the Andes mountain range in South America.
Aconcagua stands 22,841 feet (6,962 meters) high in western Argentina, near the border of Chile. Long ago, it was probably more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) taller than it is today. However, the upper portion of the volcano has crumbled away and few traces of its crater remain.
See also Andes Mountains ; Ojos del Salado .
